Seventeen-year-old Lumina wondered what it would feel like to ride a comet and fly across the galaxy like her brothers did, but girls weren’t permitted to. Comet riders sometimes died, and the nation of Galena couldn’t afford to lose any of their few remaining females. Lumina could only stare at the stars and dream that one day she too would soar among them.

“Hey, sis!” Lumina’s older brother called as he hauled himself onto the ledge where she lay.

“Hi, Jacom. Congrats, you found me.” Lumina grinned. She loved seeing how Jacom’s dark iridescent scales contrasted with her own shimmering silver ones.

“I don’t consider finding you a big accomplishment, since you’re usually here, slacking as usual.” Jacom sat beside his sister. “Did you know the humans left?”

“Really? Why?” Lumina asked.

“They might resemble us, but their skin is too delicate for the harsh environment here, even with their protective gear. Goes to show our scales do more than look good. I bet humans can’t even ride comets like we can.”

“Correction, like you can.” Lumina propped herself on an elbow. “It isn’t fair. Why do I have to be punished just because the Sefarians carried away most of the females and left me behind? If our warriors hadn’t left for battle, it never would’ve happened.”

“The leaders don’t restrict you as punishment, Lumina.” Jacom’s maroon eyes filled with pity. “If we could find the missing females, things would be different, but we can’t. The planet of Sefarius must contain some type of powerful cloaking device. Otherwise our father would’ve located our mother by now.”

“I know, but it feels like I have to pay a penalty just because I was too young for the invaders to take me.” Lumina got to her feet and paced. “I’d do anything to ride a comet, Jacom.”

“I admit it is pretty exhilarating, and I wish you could join me. We’d have a lot of fun.” Jacom sighed.

“Let's go for it. There’s another comet coming in a couple of days, and you can show me what to do.” Lumina’s purple eyes sparkled.

“You would get into so much trouble! Have you forgotten the tracking device embedded under your skin?”

“What are they going to do to me? They need me to breed, remember? In another year, the leaders will force me to marry the best genetic match, no matter how I feel about him. Please, take me with you, just once.” Lumina clasped her hands together.

“I do have the old spacesuit I outgrew. It should fit you, but you’ll need to find a glider. Meet me here at nightfall day after tomorrow.”

***

Two days later, brother and sister stood beside each other as a comet appeared in the distance.

They each leapt onto their smooth, polished gliders and kicked off the ledge. The air rushed by as they rocketed towards the comet.

“Once we get to the top of the comet, find a place to land. Hold tight to your glider and enjoy the ride,” Jacom called.

Lumina did as instructed, and soon they were far from Galena. She reveled in the speed at which the comet traveled, until she heard a loud crack. Lumina jerked her head up as the rock she balanced on broke away. Pieces of it smashed apart her glider, and she was sent spiraling through the emptiness of space.

“Lumina!” Her brother left the comet and dove after her. He caught her around the waist and stabilized them both; but the glider couldn’t handle their combined weight for long.

“What are we going to do?” Lumina buried her head against Jacom’s shoulder. “We’ll never make it home.”

“Do you see that?” Jacom directed Lumina’s attention to a section of the sky.

“The stars look like they’re rippling as though part of a clear undulating wall.”

“Let’s check it out. Hold on.” Jacom banked the glider, and they could hear it pop. “Come on, stay together a little longer.”

They broke through the strange sheen and saw a whole world stretched out before them. In spite of their rapid descent, the glider held together until they were a few feet above a wide expanse of golden sand. When the glider disintegrated, they fell and hit the ground hard, but their scales protected them from injury.

“You saved us.” Lumina threw her arms around Jacom’s neck. “But what is this place, and how will we get home?”

“If your tracking device still works, they’ll send a search party and should arrive in no time. In fact, they probably sent authorities out the moment you left the ledge.” The color of Jacom’s face faded, and he groaned. “I’m going to be in serious trouble for letting you come with me.”

“Wait a second.” Lumina glanced around. Tall mountain peaks showed in the distance, but there was no sign of life anywhere. “We couldn’t see the surface of this planet until we broke through the atmosphere around it, which means …”

“This must be Sefarius!” Jacom exclaimed.

Sometime later, a large craft whirred overhead and touched down. Lumina’s father was the first to exit, and she ran to him.

“Thank goodness you’re alright.” Her father held her in a tight embrace and gazed gratefully up at the sky.

“Look! We found the hidden planet!” Lumina cried.

“You sure did, and we have reinforcements on the way.” The eyes of Lumina’s father glinted with a fierce determination. “We’ll get our women back.”

***

Several days later, Lumina watched as the military ships returned to Galena with nearly all the missing females. A few had succumbed to illnesses or other tragedies, but most had survived. Tears streamed down Lumina's cheeks as she embraced her mother for the first time she could remember.